How to Get a Falconry License in Iowa
Requirements, fees, exam, and resources for getting into falconry in Iowa
Falconry in Iowa is regulated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, specifically the Wildlife Bureau. To practice falconry legally in IA, you need a state falconry permit. A separate federal falconry permit is no longer issued to individual falconers — the state permit is the one that matters. The process involves passing a written exam, having your facilities inspected, and finding a licensed sponsor if you are applying as an apprentice.
Iowa does not publish how many questions its falconry exam has. You need 80% or higher to pass it. Up-front fees for an apprentice come to $63.50. Iowa does not publish a minimum mews size, so build to the federal standard and confirm before your inspection. Below is what you need to get started with falconry in Iowa.
The midwestern United States is a heartland for falconry, offering expansive agricultural landscapes, prairie grasslands, and river corridors that support thriving populations of small game. Midwestern falconers benefit from excellent access to public and private hunting land, and the region's mix of open fields and shelterbelts creates ideal habitat for both longwing and broadwing falconry. Red-tailed Hawks are the iconic midwestern falconry bird, perfectly adapted to hunting cottontails along fencerows and farm edges.
More on falconry across the Midwest, including trapping seasons, terrain and the regional community.
Start here
The Iowa Falconer's Association
You cannot be licensed as an apprentice without a sponsor, and almost everyone finds theirs through the state club. Meets, field days and introductions to general and master falconers all run through Iowa Falconer's Association. Of everything on this page, this is the link worth following first.
🏛️ Wildlife Agency
All falconry licensing in Iowa is handled through the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Contact them directly with questions about exam scheduling, license applications, and facility inspections.
📝 Exam Requirements
The Iowa falconry exam covers raptor biology, training, housing, health care, and both state and federal regulation. You need at least 80% to pass. Iowa does not publish the number of questions on its falconry exam. Confirm the format with Iowa Department of Natural Resources when you book it. Contact Falconry Director Karmin Klingenberg
- •Federal falconry regulations
- •Iowa Admin Code 571-101 & 102
Need help preparing? See our falconry exam preparation guide for study strategies and practice questions.
💰 Fees
A new apprentice in Iowa pays $63.50 up front, covering the permit. Terms vary by state — some annual, some three or five years — so confirm yours with the agency. This is separate from the state hunting licence you will also need.
Source: agency documentChecked September 13, 2026.
🏠 Facility Requirements
Your facilities must pass inspection before Iowa issues a licence. Iowa sets no minimum mews floor area in its regulations. The federal standards under 50 CFR 21.82 apply: the enclosure must protect the bird from predators and weather and let it fully extend its wings. A separate weathering area is required where your bird can sun and bathe outdoors. Your facilities must pass a wildlife officer inspection before you can be licensed. Per 571.101.2 - Facilities and equipment requirements
For detailed construction guidance, see our mews construction guide and facility requirements overview.
🦅 Species Notes
Iowa sets its own rules on which raptors may be flown. Federal rules already limit apprentices to red-tailed hawks and American kestrels; the restrictions below are what Iowa adds on top.
- ⚠️Wild Peregrine falcons have special provisions per 571.101.4
Species profiles are in our falconry species guide.
🔗 Resources
📋 Falconry specifics in Iowa
- Apprentices here fly a red-tail, and only a red-tail
- Iowa apprentices may possess only a red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) — not the kestrel the federal rules also allow — and may hold just one bird, with no more than one replacement in any twelve-month period.
- Keeping a bird is not the same as flying one
- Iowa says the quiet part out loud: "the keeping of raptors without actively hunting the bird(s) shall not be considered field experience". Time toward the next class is measured in hunting, not in possession.
🤝 Finding a Mentor in Iowa
Every apprentice needs a sponsor holding a general or master permit, and in Iowa the state club is where those introductions happen. Sponsors tend to say yes to people who have already started studying and who turn up more than once.
The ask itself is covered in our guide to finding a falconry sponsor.
How to Become a Falconer in Iowa
Want to get into falconry in Iowa? Here is the recommended path to your license:
- 1Study for the exam — Use our exam prep guide and the study materials listed above.
- 2Find a sponsor — Connect with local falconers — see our guide to finding a sponsor.
- 3Build your facilities — Review mews construction requirements before starting.
- 4Serve your apprenticeship — Plan on at least two years flying one bird under your sponsor — our falconry apprenticeship guide covers what those years involve.
- 5Follow the complete path — See our step-by-step path to becoming a falconer for the full timeline.
- 6Know the license classes — Understand the three license classes and how you will progress from apprentice to general to master.
- 7Budget for equipment — Beyond the mews, work through the falconry equipment list, which prices each item you will need for your first season.
- 8Know the federal rules — Every state’s rules sit on the same federal framework — our guide to federal falconry regulations covers license classes, reporting and moving between states.
This page is a summary for general information, not legal advice. Falconry regulations change, and the authoritative source is always the state agency. Confirm anything you plan to act on with Iowa Department of Natural Resources on 515-725-8200. Last checked 2026-08-21.